Apple will unveil its latest software platforms during its WWDC 2026 keynote on Monday, June 8, and one of them will be macOS 27 for the Mac.


The first developer beta of macOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users in September.

macOS 26 is known as macOS Tahoe, but the name of macOS 27 has yet to leak.

Below, we recap what to expect from macOS 27.

Siri Upgrades

macOS 27 will reportedly include a dedicated Siri app with conversation history. This would make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

macOS 27 should also include the personalized Siri features that Apple previewed all the way back at WWDC 2024. For example, Apple showed a user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation based on info retrieved from the Mail and Messages apps. This functionality was previewed on an iPhone, but it will extend to the iPad and Mac.

"We look forward to bringing a more personalized Siri to users coming this year," said Apple's CEO Tim Cook, on an earnings call this week.

More Apple Intelligence Features

Earlier this year, Apple and Google announced that Google Gemini will help power future Apple Intelligence features, and that will extend beyond the more personalized version of Siri. However, exactly which features arrive remains to be seen.

Touch Interface

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is preparing a touch-optimized version of macOS for the rumored MacBook Pro or "MacBook Ultra" with a touchscreen.

For example, if a user touches a button or control on the screen, the report said a relevant set of commands will instantly appear in a menu surrounding their finger. And if a user taps on an item in the menu bar at the top of the screen, the report said the controls will enlarge so they are easier to select with a finger.

Gurman expects a MacBook Pro or MacBook Ultra with a touchscreen to be released by early 2027, so these touch optimizations will presumably arrive in macOS 27. However, the changes might be hidden until the laptop launches.

Improved Stability

macOS 27 will reportedly be similar to 2009's Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is apparently very focused on improving "quality and underlying performance." Apple is expected to implement many bug fixes and stability improvements, and there may also be some much-needed Liquid Glass design enhancements.

No Intel Macs

Last year, Apple announced that macOS Tahoe would be the final major macOS release for Intel-based Macs, meaning that macOS 27 will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip and newer only. However, Apple will likely continue to release security fixes for some Intel-based Macs for at least a few more years.

No AirPort Time Capsule Support

Starting with macOS 27, Macs will not support the AirPort Time Capsule or any other storage drives that use the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), according to a warning shown by Apple on macOS Tahoe. Time Capsule backups will require a storage drive that supports more current file-sharing protocols like SMBv2 and SMBv3.
This article, "Apple to Unveil macOS 27 Next Month With These New Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Sim Update 5 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now available, with significant improvements for every aspiring pilot player. One of the biggest changes is that now all career modes are fully unlocked. Heavy aircraft and Vertical Take‑Off and Landing (VTOL) operations are also available (i.e. helicopters). The update also improves frame rates and reduces stuttering – especially in large cities and complex airports. Find out more at the MSFS 2024 site.

Apple this week stopped offering a 256GB storage option for the Mac mini worldwide. As a result, the desktop computer now has a higher starting price.


In the U.S., for example, the Mac mini now starts at $799 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, whereas it previously started at $599 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

While the 512GB configuration always started at $799, customers who want a new Mac mini from Apple for $599 no longer have such an option.

Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip already had a minimum of 512GB of storage, so there are no pricing changes for those configurations.

The base Mac mini with 256GB of storage had already been unavailable to order since last week, but it has now been removed from Apple's configurator entirely. We have reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

On an earnings call this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply is constrained, and he said it may take "several months" for Apple to achieve supply-demand balance. He said both of these Macs are "amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools," resulting in higher-than-expected demand.

In March, Apple stopped offering the Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM.

These changes to Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations are occurring amid a global memory chip shortage, driven by companies building out AI server facilities. Cook said Apple is expecting "significantly higher memory costs" in the current quarter, and tight availability of RAM is likely forcing Apple to make tough business decisions.

Thanks, Spencer!
This article, "Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Hello Windows Insiders I’ve now spent the past two months in this expanded role leading the Windows Insider Program. Two themes have stood out in my conversations with you. First, you want more transparency. You want to see what we’re doing, understand our decisions, and see progress through shipping. Second, a shared sense of pride. We want to be proud of what we build, and as Insiders, you’re proud to be the first to guide us with your feedback. When we get it right, we celebrate together. When we don’t, you push us to improve. We want Insiders to feel that same connection to what we’re building. Over the next few months, you’ll see us laser focused on the improvements we’re shipping. My ask of you: try the experiences, pressure test them, and let’s keep building a product we are proud of. Below are a few of the top improvements we’ve started rolling out to Windows Insiders over the past month, including some experiences rolling out in today’s flights.

Making the Windows Insider Program easier to navigate, with more control of the features you want

[caption id="attachment_178861" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Newly updated Windows Insider Settings screen showing the new Experimental and Beta channels[/caption] Everything starts with Windows Insiders. Before a feature or improvement reaches general availability, we deliver it to you first. Last week, we began rolling changes to make the Windows Insider Program easier to navigate, simpler to understand, and with more control to try the features you want. With these changes, we're moving to two primary channels, Experimental and Beta, with clearer expectations for what each offer. In Beta, we're ending controlled feature rollouts (CFR), so when we announce a feature and you take the update, you'll have it. In Experimental, we're also adding new feature flags, so you can choose which features to try. We’re also making it easier to move between channels or leave the program without a clean install. Alongside these changes, we've continued improving Feedback Hub to reduce friction when sharing feedback, with recent updates focused on more consistent window behavior, easier navigation, and accessibility improvements. See our Windows Insider experience blog post for the full breakdown of channel changes, feature flags, and how to switch channels. For more information on the transition over the next month and how to access the new changes, read last week’s Windows Insider blog.

Less disruption from Windows Update

[caption id="attachment_178902" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Showing ability in Windows Update to extend update pause[/caption] The theme is simple: fewer disruptions, more clarity, more control. This update moves Windows toward a single monthly restart by consolidating OS, .NET, and driver updates, and gives you more flexibility to time updates around your schedule. We've also made changes to the Power menu so you'll always see the standard Restart and Shut down options without having to install a pending update first. You decide when updates happen, not the other way around. These improvements are available in the Experimental channel. See our Windows Update blog post for more on how unified updates, improved pause controls, and the new Power menu work together to keep you in control.

Simplifying AI experiences across inbox apps

Last month we said we would reduce where Copilot shows up across Windows, focusing on bringing AI where it’s most valuable. You’re seeing those changes roll out. In Snipping Tool and Photos, we've removed the “Ask Copilot” button entirely. And in Notepad, we've replaced the generic Copilot icon with a clearer "Writing Tools" label that better describes what it does. This is part of a broader shift to make AI in Windows more intentional and realign the experiences to those that provide the most value to users, and you’ll see us continue to be deliberate about where Copilot shows up, with fewer more curated experiences. These changes have been gradually rolling out through Microsoft Store updates over the past month.

Delivering improvements to make File Explorer faster and more dependable

File Explorer is a go-to tool for hundreds of millions of people across diverse workflows. It is an experience customers depend on to be functional, and we want to make it loved. We’re making foundational architectural improvements and rolling them out incrementally to reduce hangs, improve responsiveness, polish, and drive consistent gains in performance. In parallel, we’re addressing long-standing user feedback with targeted improvements that make day-to-day experiences more stable and reliable. This has included fixes to deliver smoother, more responsive launch and navigation, making the Home experience more stable with fewer jarring transitions and improved visual polish, including sharper thumbnails. These improvements have already begun to roll out in the Experimental channel, with several rolling out in today’s flights.

More control over widgets and feed experiences

One of the areas we’re looking at closely across the operating system is the idea of “calm”. When you’re designing an experience for over a billion users, what are the right defaults that are easy, simple, and limit distractions? One of the most significant areas we’re addressing this is in Widgets and the Discover feed to make them quieter by default. We're changing default settings for launching and badging so you have more control over when these experiences show up and when they're allowed to seek your attention. When notifications do surface, we're setting a higher bar to make sure they're meaningful. We're also continuing to separate Widgets and the Discover feed into more distinct destinations, with calmer defaults that give you more control of what you choose to see. These improvements are rolling out today in the Experimental channel. We’ll soon also be reducing the default set of Widgets on lock to just Weather, putting customers in more control of curating the Widgets they want to see on lock. [caption id="attachment_178928" align="aligncenter" width="2061"] Comparing the in-market widget experience (left) with the new experience (right)[/caption]

Improving system performance

As part of our commitment to making Windows more responsive and consistent, we have also been making progress on system performance across several areas of the operating system. We have been actively investigating and pursuing memory savings across the system. Widgets is one of the areas we’re focused on, leveraging device characteristics and user behavior patterns to optimize memory for our users. This includes things like a smaller default memory footprint, giving back memory faster when not in use, putting the user in more control of pre-launch, and limiting pre-launch on devices with lower memory capacity. Several of these changes are beginning to roll out to Windows Insiders today and we will be sharing more of our improvements in Widgets and in other areas over the coming months. We have been improving responsiveness across key OS and app launch experiences. In mid-March, we began rolling out targeted performance/power tuning improvements for the most frequently used OS and app scenarios. While we continue to tune these policies for improvements, these optimizations accelerate app launch and core shell scenarios like the Start menu, Search, Action Center, and more. One other cool update was work the team recently did to update the Windows scheduler. By better handling processor power states (C-states), we improve user-perceived responsiveness in everyday use. This optimization is beginning to become available in retail for customers.

What’s ahead

We know there’s a lot of excitement for Taskbar customization – and that’s coming soon. We’re actively refining the experience to ensure it meets our quality bar before broader preview. I’m excited to share more on that work later this month, including how we’re improving Taskbar and Start, as well the work underway to enhance Search. Since March, we’ve also been traveling to various cities to meet with Windows Insiders, listen to feedback, and share how we’re thinking about the future of the program– first in Seattle and last week in New York. The team and I are excited to continue connecting with you at our upcoming meetups taking place in Hyderabad, Taipei, San Francisco and London in the months ahead. If you’re interested in attending, register here! The commitments we made in March reflect our focus on delivering real performance, reliability and craft improvements to Windows 11 throughout this year. With Microsoft Build next month, we’ll have more to share on how we’re making Windows even better for developers. Looking forward to seeing you there! For a complete view of what’s shipped in each build, check the latest release notes on the new Windows Insider Program Documentation Hub. Please keep the feedback coming. Marcus

Hello Windows Insiders, Today we are expanding the rollout of the new Windows Insider experience improvements to Canary Channel 28000 series devices, which will begin to move to Experimental (26H1). As a reminder, this does not change your current version of Windows, just bringing you the latest improvements to the Windows Insider experience.

Extending ISO download support

One of the areas of feedback we received was that many of you like to use ISOs to install your builds. We’ve heard you, and are committing to releasing ISOs available to download alongside regularly scheduled builds across all versions of the Beta and Experimental channels. To find ISOs for Windows Insider Preview Builds, see the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page. [Update 5/6/2026: Thank you for the great feedback regarding ISO availability. For clarity, we aim to release ISOs the week following their build flighting]

New builds this week

Today we are releasing new Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds. As a reminder, all Insiders can find the release notes for your device based on the new channel system, even if you haven’t moved yet. This is to make finding build information as easy as possible during the transition. See your channel release notes here:

• Beta (Including Beta Channel): Build 26220.8340
• Experimental (Including Dev Channel): Build 26300.8346

For those on other specific build versions, here are today’s new builds and release notes:

• Experimental (26H1) – Including Canary 28000 series: Build 28020.1921
• Experimental (Future Platforms) – Including Canary 29500 series: Build 29580.1000

As a reminder, you can always find your build number in the watermark on bottom right-hand corner of your desktop.

Notable new features:

[Run dialog update]

Release channel: Experimental We’re rolling out a refreshed Run dialog experience designed to bring a more modern look and improved usability. This update introduces updated visuals and a cleaner interface, along with new controls that make it easier to manage the experience from within Settings. The refreshed Run dialog is currently available as an opt-in experience for Windows Insiders on the Experimental channel, where you can enable it by going to Settings > System > Advanced and turning on the new Run dialog option. See the Dev blog announcement for more information.

New run dialog

[Feedback Hub app update]

Release channel: Experimental, Experimental (26H1), Experimental (Future Platforms) Thanks Windows Insiders that have been sharing feedback about the Feedback Hub – we’re now rolling out version 2.2604.301.0. This update contains a number of improvements based on what you’ve been telling us, including:

• Generally improved reliability.
• More tweaks to improve general design fit and finish, accessibility, and localization.
• The Community feedback section for non-English now allows you to switch view to English if you’d prefer.
• Collection titles and Official responses now will be automatically translated in top languages.
• The file upload limit when submitting feedback is back up to 500mb.
• Improved upvote and comment count accuracy for feedback.

Please keep the feedback coming! If you want to share any thoughts, you can file them in the Feedback Hub under Apps > Feedback Hub.

[Widgets is quiet by default]

Release channel: Experimental We’re working to make Widgets feel less distracting and overwhelming by making the experience quiet by default. To do this, we’re testing a new set of default settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions. These changes include:

• Disabling Open on hover by default
• Turning off taskbar badging  by default

• Opening to widgets experience on first launch

• Limiting taskbar alerts until you choose to open and engage with the Widgets experience

If you prefer more proactive updates, you can easily turn features like taskbar badging back on through Widgets settings. Thanks, Stephen and the Windows Insider Program team

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Mac mini to use with Astropad's new Workbench app. For those unfamiliar with Astropad, it is the company behind Astropad Studio and Luna Display. Astropad Studio lets you use an iPad as a drawing tablet connected to a Mac and Luna Display turns an ‌iPad‌ into a secondary display for a Mac, so Workbench is a natural evolution of Astropad's existing products.


The ‌Mac mini‌ has become the must-have platform for local agentic AI, and Astropad Workbench is the perfect companion app. Workbench is a remote desktop app for the Mac, and Astropad built it for use with AI. Workbench uses the LIQUID engine that Astropad designed for Luna Display and Astropad Studio.


Using Workbench, you can control your AI agents remotely on an iPhone, making it ideal for people who have set up a ‌Mac mini‌ as a personal server for OpenClaw and other agentic AI platforms. Workbench can be used to check logs and verify agent work, restart failed tasks, or reconnect to long-running jobs. Workbench is more full-featured than options like Remote Control for Claude Code, because Anthropic's tool only provides terminal access, while Workbench offers access to your full desktop.


Workbench lets you monitor your AI agents from anywhere with no need to be tied to a desk. Astropad has native apps for Mac, iPhone, and ‌iPad‌, so you can interface with your Mac desktop from an iPhone or ‌iPad‌ no matter where you are. There are even tools for quickly switching between multiple Macs connected to a Workbench account.


The app supports high-fidelity streaming with a unified virtual display for multiple monitors, low latency, voice dictation, and multiple control options, including gestures, keyboard input, mouse, and Apple Pencil. For large desktops, there's a mini-map that helps with navigation.


Setup is simple thanks to a global relay network across 11 regions, with no network configuration required. End-to-end encryption protects your data, and no display recordings are captured and saved.

Workbench requires macOS 15 or later, iPadOS 26 or later, and iOS 26 or later. It will work best on Apple silicon Macs, with limited support on Intel Macs.


Workbench is free to use for 20 minutes each day, with an unlimited paid plan available for $10 per month or $50 per year.

Astropad is giving away a 16GB ‌Mac mini‌ with a 512GB SSD. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.


Astropad Workbench Giveaway
The contest will run from today (May 1) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 8. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after May 8 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
This article, "MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Mac Mini to Run AI Agents With Astropad's 'Workbench' App" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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You'll find great deals on Apple's M5 MacBook Air, Apple Watch Series 11, and a few AirPods models this week. The highlight is the 46mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 at the new all-time low price of $399.00, a $130 discount that can be found on Amazon.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

M5 MacBook Air

• What's the deal? Take $149 off M5 MacBook Air


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon has a few record low prices on the new M5 MacBook Air this week, with $149 off select models of the brand new notebook. You can get the 512GB 13-inch M5 MacBook Air for $949.99, down from $1,099.00, available in all colors.

Apple Watch Series 11

• What's the deal? Take up to $130 off Apple Watch Series 11


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with up to $130 off numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes nearly every aluminum model of the Series 11 on sale at a record low price, plus new steep markdowns on cellular models.

AirPods

• What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 3


• Where can I get it? Amazon


• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, and it's accompanied by a solid deal on the AirPods 4.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Rare $130 Discounts on Apple Watch Series 11, Plus AirPods and MacBook Sales" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we answer your listener questions about the future of Apple's product lineup, the software and services shaping the ecosystem, and our own personal histories with the company and its devices.



Some questions center on the iPhone Air and its future direction, including whether Apple might adopt silicon-carbon battery technology for a second-generation model, or prioritize adding a second camera lens instead. There is also interest in how ‌iPhone Air‌ might evolve with features like a vibrating surface speaker.

The foldable iPhone generates a lot of discussion, with questions touching on whether listeners would choose it over an ‌iPhone Air‌, whether it could replace both an iPhone and iPad mini, and whether its arrival signals the end of the dedicated compact tablet.

Broader hardware questions include when the 11th-generation iPad will be updated, when Apple plans to complete the OLED with ProMotion rollout across its entire laptop lineup, whether the MacBook Neo risks cannibalizing ‌iPad‌ sales, and what the future holds for Apple Vision Pro given its underwhelming reception.

On the software side, questions cover what visionOS might look like several years down the line, Photomator's future and whether Apple intends to develop it into a proper Lightroom alternative, and whether Apple is falling behind competitors like Alexa on basic smart home automation, pointing out that HomePod still relies on Shortcuts for many routines that Alexa handles natively.

The general tech questions are the most varied, asking which Apple device would cause the biggest bottleneck if swapped for an entry-level version, whether we would attempt an Apple Watch-only week without an iPhone, and what device combinations we actually rely on day to day. There is also curiosity about Nothing as a brand and whether it is worth taking seriously, as well as concerns about the escalating cost of MacBook Pro models and where the ceiling might be.

A number of questions are more personal, asking about our first Apple products, what originally drew us to the ecosystem, our favorite and oldest devices, and whether family members using non-Apple products causes any friction. ‌The MacRumors Show‌ has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player.



If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's bombshell announcement that Tim Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus set to succeed him.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Your Tech Questions Answered" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's most affordable MacBook ever appears to be a resounding hit with customers, based on comments shared by CEO Tim Cook this week.


On an earnings call on Thursday, Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo has been "off the charts" since the laptop was unveiled in March.

"We could not be happier with how things are going at the moment," he said.

Apple was very optimistic about the MacBook Neo before announcing it, but the company still "undercalled" the level of enthusiasm that the laptop would generate, according to Cook. He said that MacBook Neo demand has exceeded Apple's expectations and helped to drive a record number of first-time Mac buyers last quarter.

"We're very focused on customers new to the Mac and customers that have been holding on to their Mac a very long period of time," said Cook.

As a result of high demand, Cook added that the MacBook Neo is currently "supply constrained." For orders placed today, Apple's online store in the U.S. currently shows a 2-3 week delivery estimate for all configurations of the laptop.

Apple released the MacBook Neo on March 11, following a week of pre-orders. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599 for the general public and an even lower $499 for college students and qualifying educational staff. Powered by a version of the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, the laptop is available in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver finishes.
This article, "Apple Was Caught Off Guard by MacBook Neo's 'Off the Charts' Demand" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Jerry Bezencon has announced the availability of the initial release candidate for the upcoming Linux Lite 8.0, a major update of the project's Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the Xfce desktop. The release delivers a new high-performance Linux kernel, the Calamares system installer, and a custom distribution builder: "Linux Lite....

A new entry-level iPad 12 with Apple Intelligence support likely remains months away, based on a comment shared by an Apple executive this week.


On an earnings call on Thursday, Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh said that the company's iPad revenue in the March-June quarter will face a "difficult compare" due to the the launch of the entry-level iPad 11 with the A16 chip in March 2025.

Parekh is essentially saying that Apple's year-over-year iPad revenue growth might be impacted in the current quarter, likely due to the company having no plans to update the entry-level iPad this quarter like it did in the year-ago quarter. If an iPad 12 were to be coming this quarter, this "difficult compare" remark would have been unlikely.

In short, do not expect an iPad 12 to be released during Apple's current fiscal quarter, which runs through June 27. That seemingly rules out a product announcement at the WWDC 2026 conference taking place from June 8 through June 12.

Here is Parekh's full comment:

We expect our June quarter total company revenue to grow by 14 to 17 percent year-over-year, which comprehends our best view of constrained supply. On iPad, keep in mind, we face a difficult compare driven by the launch of the A16-powered iPad in the prior year.

While it appears that an iPad 12 will not be released through June, a launch later this year is still possible. In March, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said an entry-level iPad with an A18 chip was "ready to go" and "still coming this year."

An earlier report from Macworld's Filipe Espósito claimed that the iPad 12 will actually have an A19 chip, so we will have to see which report turns out to be accurate. In any case, both the A18 and A19 chips are compatible with Apple Intelligence, which is something that the current iPad base model with an A16 chip lacks.

Apple Intelligence is already available on all other current-generation iPad models, including the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

No other major changes have been rumored so far for the iPad 12, so we expect the device to have the same overall design as the current model. In the U.S., the device currently starts at $349 and is available in pink, yellow, blue, and silver.
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A Weibo leaker today suggested that Apple's iPhone Air 2 may be the only next-generation ultra-thin flagship smartphone from a major brand, after the original model's poor sales performance appears to have led competing manufacturers to abandon plans for their own follow-up products.


The leaker known as "Digital Chat Station" today posted on Weibo, claiming that the ‌iPhone Air‌ barely surpassed 700,000 unit activations even after multiple rounds of price reductions. The post also noted that an unspecified domestic Chinese ultra-thin device managed only 50,000 activations, and that the rival's planned follow-up now looks "highly precarious" and is in all likelihood going to be scrapped. The leaker concluded that the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 may end up as the sole ultra-thin flagship of the next generation.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ has struggled commercially since its September 2025 launch. A KeyBanc Capital Markets survey found "virtually no demand" for the device, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that suppliers had been asked to cut capacity by more than 80% between launch and early 2026, and the ‌iPhone Air‌ is now widely believed to be entirely out of production.

The device's poor reception has reverberated across the industry. Xiaomi reportedly planned a "true Air model" to rival Apple's offering, while Vivo targeted thinness within its mid-range S series. Both companies are said to have halted related projects. Samsung similarly cancelled the Galaxy S26 Edge after the Galaxy S25 Edge sold poorly.

Despite all of this, a separate leaker claimed last month that Apple will push ahead with at least two generations of the device regardless of sales performance. Reports are now aligned around a spring 2027 launch, with the delay attributed both to poor sales of the original and to Apple's new split launch strategy, which moves the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 to a spring window while reserving fall 2026 for the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable iPhone. Reports from Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and The Information all point to an early 2027 release.

Apple is said to be significantly revising the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2 to address the main criticisms of the original. The Information reported that Apple is considering adding a second rear camera, likely an Ultra Wide lens to complement the existing 48-megapixel Fusion camera, along with lower pricing. Other rumored changes include reduced weight, vapor chamber cooling, and increased battery capacity. Apple is believed to have requested an ultra-thin Face ID module from suppliers to free up internal space for the additional camera. According to The Elec, Apple also plans to bring a thinner, brighter Samsung OLED technology called CoE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to the ‌iPhone Air‌ 2, after debuting it first on the foldable iPhone.
This article, "iPhone Air's Poor Sales Spook Rivals Into Ditching Ultra-Thin Phone Plans" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacRumors is pleased to announce our Seventeenth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2026. Let's save lives together by encouraging donations of blood, platelets, and plasma, and signing up as bone marrow and organ donors. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. Anyone can participate.


Over the past 16 years, MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 1,795 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, cheered for donors, and celebrated new signups for the bone marrow and organ donor registries. We've heard from hundreds of forum members who donate or whose lives were saved by the donations of strangers.

This year's featured donor is user m53rd. Not only is he a blood donor, registered as an organ donor, and registered as a bone marrow donor, but he's already been an organ donor, having donated a kidney and then 60% of his liver to people in need. It's a magnificent example how a single person can save many lives.

Whether you're a regular donor or someone overcoming apprehension to donate for the very first time, we welcome and congratulate you.


How to participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive

1. If you are an eligible donor, schedule a blood, platelet, or plasma donation (FAQ) at any donation center near you. Post in the MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it. Also post if you sign up for the bone marrow registry (FAQ) or register as an organ donor. We'll add all registrants to our Honor Roll.


2. Not everyone is eligible to donate blood, due to their health status or based on risk factors that result in deferrals (see LGBTQ+ donor information). If you aren't eligible to donate blood, please encourage a friend or relative to make a donation, and let us know. If they donate, you'll both be added to our Honor Roll.


3. Share our #MacRumorsBloodDrive message with friends, relatives, and followers. Help us thank the forum members who post in the MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive! thread.

After the MacRumors Blood Drive ends on May 31, continue recording your blood, platelet, and plasma donations, from June 2026 through next April 2027, on our Team MacRumors 2026-2027 page (instructions). We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors 2027 Blood Drive next May.
This article, "MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple held its earnings call for the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2026 today after announcing its best March quarter ever. Apple saw revenue of $111.2 billion with double-digit growth across every geographic segment and across every product category. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Kevan Parekh provided insight into iPhone sales, Mac sales, RAM supply issues, and more.


We've rounded up the most interesting takeaways from the call.

iPhone 17 Sales

Apple attributed its success to the new iPhone models. Cook said "demand was off the charts," but Apple was facing supply constraints that impacted revenue. Had there not been supply issues, Apple would have seen higher revenue.

The A19 and A19 Pro chips from TSMC proved to be a bottleneck because TSMC uses the same 3nm process for AI chips that are in high demand. Cook said iPhone constraints were "primarily driven" by the availability of the advanced nodes Apple's SoCs are produced on.

According to Parekh, the iPhone 17 family is Apple's best-selling iPhone lineup to date. "The ‌iPhone 17‌ family is now the most popular lineup in our history... we believe we gained market share during the quarter," he said.

iPhone revenue was $57 billion, up 22 percent year-over-year, which is a new March quarter record. Apple saw strong demand from upgraders and customers choosing an iPhone for the first time. Cook said Apple is "enormously pleased" with how the ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup has been received.

Memory Costs

Apple had higher memory costs during the March quarter, and the impact is expected to get worse as the year goes on. Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said that Apple is expecting "significantly higher memory costs" in the June quarter, and beyond June, memory costs will "drive an increasing impact" on Apple's business.

Mac Sales

Mac revenue was $8.4 billion, up six percent year-over-year. Cook said sales were impacted by supply constraints "driven by higher than expected levels of demand."

The MacBook Neo that was introduced during the quarter was a hit, and Apple sold out. Shipping times for new machines reached several weeks. Apple also saw high demand for the Mac mini and the Mac Studio from people buying the machines for use with AI.

Apple set March quarter records for upgraders and customers new to the Mac, leading to a new all-time record for the overall Mac install base. Apple is focused on customers new to the Mac and customers who have been holding onto their Mac for a long period of time, and the Neo is selling well to those customers.

Apple expects Macs to face supply constraints in the June quarter due to continued high demand and "less flexibility in the supply chain."

Mac Studio and Mac mini Supplies

Apple expects it to take months to reach supply/demand balance on the ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac mini‌, suggesting they are going to be hard to get for months to come.

Apple underestimated demand for the ‌Mac mini‌ and the ‌Mac Studio‌. "Both of these are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher than expected demand," Cook said.

John Ternus

Cook addressed John Ternus, who will take over as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026.

As I have said, there is no one on this planet I trust more to lead Apple into the future than John Ternus. John is a brilliant engineer, a deep thinker, a person of remarkable character, and a born leader. I know he will push us to go further than we think is possible in order to deliver the greatest products and services for our users. I have been so proud to call him a colleague and a friend, and I will be even more proud to call him Apple's CEO.

Ternus also spoke on the call, where he teased Apple's upcoming product lineup.

As Tim mentioned, we have an incredible roadmap ahead. And while you're not going to get me to talk about the details of that roadmap, suffice it to say this is the most exciting time in my 25-year career at Apple to be building products and services.

There are so many opportunities before us, and I couldn't be more optimistic about what's to come. For now, let me simply say I am deeply grateful to Tim, to the executive team and to everyone at Apple, and I look forward to all of the important work ahead with that.

Wearables

Wearables revenue was $7.9 billion, an increase of five percent year-over-year. Apple's wearables install base hit a new all-time high, and more than half of customers who purchased an Apple Watch during the quarter were new to the product.

Services

Apple's services revenue reached $31 billion, a new all-time revenue record.

Apple has an install base of over 2.5 billion active devices, a new all-time high across all major product categories. Both transacting and paid accounts hit new all-time highs in the quarter.

Retail

Apple had a March quarter revenue record for retail, with "very high levels of store traffic throughout the quarter."

AI

Parekh said that AI is a "really important investment area" for Apple, and the company plans to continue to invest in AI "incrementally on top of" what it normally invests in its product roadmap.

Apple's R&D spending accelerated during the quarter, and Cook said that Apple is investing in products and services. "We see opportunities in both of those," he said. "We could not be more excited about how the future is playing out."

On the collaboration with Google, Cook said things are going well. "We're happy with where things are, and we're happy with the work that we're doing independently as well," he said.

Tariffs

From Q1 to Q2, Apple saw less impact from tariffs due to the reduction in IEEPA tariff rates, and the reduced global tariff rate under Section 122. Cook said Apple is following the established processes of applying for a refund of tariffs paid, and any amount received will be invested back into U.S. innovation and advanced manufacturing. Any investment of refunded tariff fees will be in addition to Apple's prior commitments in the U.S.

Next Quarter

Parekh said June quarter total revenue is expected to grow 14 to 17 percent year-over-year. Services revenue is expected to grow at a similar rate to what was reported in the March quarter.

Parekh warned investors about iPad revenue because last year, Apple released the A16 ‌iPad‌. "Keep in mind, we face a difficult compare driven by the launch of the A16-powered ‌iPad‌ in the prior year," Parekh said.

Apple's guidance for the June quarter relies on global tariff rates and policies remaining as they are today.
This article, "Apple's Q2 2026 Earnings Call: 11 Key Takeaways" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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During today's earnings call for the second fiscal quarter of 2026, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the Mac mini and Mac Studio could be hard to get for months to come.


"We think, looking forward, that the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ may take several months to reach supply demand balance," Cook said.

Apple underestimated demand for the ‌Mac mini‌ and the ‌Mac Studio‌. "Both of these are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher than expected demand," Cook said.

Shipping delays for the ‌Mac mini‌ and the ‌Mac Studio‌ have been increasing over the last few months, and the waits for some models stretch into months. Apple stopped selling the ‌Mac Studio‌ with 512GB RAM entirely, and it stopped accepting orders for some models with higher amounts of RAM. As of last week, the base ‌Mac mini‌ was listed as "Currently Unavailable" from Apple's online store because it is out of stock.
This article, "Apple Says Mac Studio and Mac Mini Will Be in Short Supply for Months" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple had higher memory costs during the March quarter, and the impact is expected to get worse as the year goes on. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is expecting "significantly higher memory costs" in the June quarter, and beyond June, memory costs will "drive an increasing impact" on Apple's business.


Cook said the higher memory costs have been partially offset because the company is selling existing inventory that it has stockpiled. As those supplies dwindle, Apple's costs will go up.

According to Cook, Apple is going to look at a "range of options" and the company is "continuing to evaluate" the situation. Cook declined to provide more insight into how Apple plans to deal with the problem.

Memory costs have been soaring due to global supply constraints caused by AI server demand. Chip makers are prioritizing memory for AI servers rather than consumer devices, causing prices to go up.
This article, "Apple Expects 'Significantly Higher Memory Costs' in June Quarter and Beyond" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Genode has announced the release of Sculpt OS 26-04, the latest version of the project's independently-developed open-source operating system for PC hardware, the PinePhone, and the MNT Reform laptop: "Sculpt OS 26.04 gives the user unprecedented transparency and interactive control over all components underpinning the operating system. Version....